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Bank of Ann Arbor billboards use Facebook to get in rivals' face

The Bank of Ann Arbor has had a big hit on its hands with the funny ad campaign it launched last fall, an interesting combination of the new (social media) and the old (billboards).

The bank had a custom Facebook app built so its Facebook fans could write headlines on virtual billboards that bank officials later translated into real billboards, which mocked the lack of local institutional knowledge in out-of-state banks with local branches.

More than 700 entries were submitted. Among the winners that ended up on billboards around Washtenaw County were:

"Non-local banks think Wolverine Tower is a U-M cheerleader stunt." (It is a high-rise office building that houses university workers.)

"Non-local banks think The Jerk Pit is a singles' bar." (It is a popular eatery near campus.)

"Non-local banks think Eisenhower and Packard are WWII generals." (They are major city thoroughfares.)

"Non-local banks think Thurston was stranded on Gilligan's Island." (Thurston is an elementary school on the city's northeast side.)

"Non-local banks think Briarwood is where Peter Rabbit lives." (It is a big mall south of town.)

The grand-prize winner, as selected by bank officials, was — drumroll, please — "Non-local banks think Mani Osteria plays for the Tigers." (It is a popular new restaurant.)

The billboard campaign wasn't the bank's first successful foray into social media. A year ago, it had the not-so-grand total of 279 likes on Facebook. It then launched a Sweet 15 Charity Drive, asking people to vote for charities that would receive a total of $75,000 in donations.

The contest, which was honored as its service award winner by the Independent Community Bankers of America, boosted the Bank of Ann Arbor above 17,000 likes, and it is now closing in on 20,000.

It is also getting media bang for its buck. In addition to certain bloggers taking note, both thefinancialbrand.com and the Daily Technology Update, the American Banker's tech publication, featured the billboard campaign in recent weeks.

Tim Marshall, the bank's president and CEO, has gotten other bang for his buck, too. Last week, he was named chairman of Ann Arbor Spark, the economic development nonprofit.

Last month, the bank announced that in the quarter that ended March 31, it had grown total assets to a record $792 million and grew net income in the quarter to nearly $2 million from $1.3 million in the same quarter last year.